Harris met with CBS bosses Les Moonves and Nina Tassler before Letterman announced he was retiring, with the HIMYM fan favorite telling Stern, "They called me in and sat me down and asked if that would be something I'd be interested in doing."

After wrapping up HIMYM's nine-year run, Harris headed to Broadway to star in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, recently receiving a Tony nomination for his work. And Harris said his desire to do something different is what ultimately made him decline the late-night offer.

"I felt like I knew what my skill set was and what I wanted to do after the show, with them. It surprised me [Moonves] pitched me that idea," Harris explained. "I sat for a time with it while I was talking to him, and I told him what concerned me about the longevity of that kind of gig. I think I would get bored of the repetition fast. The structure is so set—I don't have any interest in doing monologue, commercial, sketch, guest, guest, musical act, good night."

But Harris revealed he is interested in doing a weekly variety show for the network. When asked if Moonves was interested in the idea, Harris replied, "Yeah, he still might be."

Late Show wouldn't have been Harris' first hosting experience, as he helmed the 2013 Emmy Awards for CBS and has hosted the Tony Awards four times.

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